American television network CBS is, somewhat optimistically, asking stars not to bare too much skin at the Grammy Awards on Sunday.

Please be sure that buttocks and female breasts are adequately covered. Thong type costumes are problematic. Please avoid exposing bare fleshy under curves of the buttocks and buttock crack. Bare sides or under curvature of the breasts is also problematic.

The network sent out an email with the subjecting line "Standard And Practice Wardrobe Advisory" in which it requests that "buttocks and female breasts are adequately covered" for the televised award show.

Enough coverage? Nicki Minaj and Sacha Gradiva would seem to be following orders in their 2012 Grammy outfits Photo: Getty

The memo, sent out on Wednesday and obtained by Deadline Hollywood also warned against "see-through clothing", exposure of "the genital region" and said that "thong type costumes are problematic".

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The code would seem to run counter to the usual Grammy Awards wardrobe as seen in our photo-gallery of last year's ceremony. In 2010, P!nk performed at the awards hanging upside-down in a flesh-coloured bodysuit, while last year Rihanna wore a plunging black dress on the red carpet, as did Jennifer Lopez in 2000. Toni Braxton was barely wearing anything in 2001, and who knows what CBS would make of M.I.A., a.k.a. Maya Arulpragasam's maternity outfit in 2009.

The memo features no indication of how it will be enforced, merely asking recipients acknowledge receipt.

2012 Grammy Awards

Perhaps more enforceable but certainly more disturbing and hard to justify, is the final line that reads “The Network requests that any organized [sic] cause visibly spelled out on talent’s wardrobe be avoided. This would include lapel pins or any other form of accessory.”

Celebrities in attendance at the Grammys often wear ribbons or badges to promote the cause of charities, yet this would appear to be against the rules.

Representatives for CBS and the Recording Academy declined to comment on Thursday.

Toni Braxton shows off her Grammy for best female R&B vocal performance and her revealing outfit, at the 43rd annual Grammy Awards in 2001. Photo: AP

CBS broadcast the infamous 2004 Super Bowl half time show that included Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction" for which they expressed "deep regret". The network was initially fined US$550,000 for airing a glimpse of Janet Jackson's breast by the Federal Communications Commission, though the fine was later overturned.

The memo reads:

"CBS Program Practices advises that all talent appearing on camera please adhere to Network policy concerning wardrobe. Please be sure that buttocks and female breasts are adequately covered. Thong type costumes are problematic. Please avoid exposing bare fleshy under curves of the buttocks and buttock crack. Bare sides or under curvature of the breasts is also problematic. Please avoid sheer see-through clothing that could possibly expose female breast nipples. Please be sure the genital region is adequately covered so that there is no visible “puffy” bare skin exposure.

"Please avoid commercial identification of actual brand name products on T-shirts. Foreign language on wardrobe will need to be cleared. OBSCENITY OR PARTIALLY SEEN OBSCENITY ON WARDROBE IS UNACCEPTABLE FOR BROADCAST.

"This as well, pertains to audience members that appear on camera.

"Finally, The Network requests that any organized cause visibly spelled out on talent’s wardrobe be avoided. This would include lapel pins or any other form of accessory."

The 55th annual Grammy Awards will be broadcast live at 12pm Monday AEDT from Los Angeles' Staples Center on Fox8 and LIVE BLOGGED right here.

with AP

Poll: What do you think of the CBS dress code memo to Grammy Awards attendees?

35 comments so far

That's right, mate. A partially visible nipple will cause a national outrage, but it's your constitutional right to use your assault rifle to murder as many kindy kids as you like.

Commenter

PeteH

Location

Sydney

Date and time

February 08, 2013, 8:51AM

Spot on - Crazy priorities! No flesh (although we all tend to have it!) but flash your guns as much as you like!

Commenter

10yrswife

Location

Date and time

February 08, 2013, 9:05AM

these leftist loonies, when will fair dinkum Abbott save us from your socially responsible views.

Commenter

obviously joking

Location

Sydney

Date and time

February 08, 2013, 9:06AM

and the award for the "Most Obscure and Far-Fetched Negative Association to Tony Abbott" award goes to....

drum rolll......

OBVIOUSLY JOKING!

well done mate

Commenter

MK

Location

SYDNEY

Date and time

February 08, 2013, 9:44AM

Guns: GOOD! Nipples: BAD!

It makes perfect sense....

Commenter

That Guy

Location

Canberra

Date and time

February 08, 2013, 9:53AM

the article is still young, please wait for J. Fraser of Queensland before handing out such awards!

Commenter

A2B

Location

Date and time

February 08, 2013, 12:18PM

Rather than talking about America’s questionable priorities, why don't we say NEITHER is acceptable. In other words, lets put an end to both violence AND raunch on our TV’s. We may look at the horrors of mass murders but also look at rubbish like the tampon girl (et al) & wonder why.

Overall, there has been a loosening of morals which has been exploited by commercialism.

Photos

On Sunday night in the United States, Monday morning for us, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences in California will again celebrate the year in music worldwide, as it perceives it, by handing out small golden gramophones to winners across 81 (81!) categories.